Machine for separating gold



2 Sheets-Slieet 1 (No Model.)

J. B. FREEMAN. MAGHINE FOR SEPARATING GOLD, SILVER. &c.

Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

5's 5' I g ,3 2% 4 znm (No Model.) a 2 Sheets-Sheet J. B. FREEMAN. MACHINE FOR SEPARATING GOLD, SILVER, &c.

No. 471,731. PatentedMar. Z9 189Z'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. FREE MAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING GOLD, SILVER, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,731, dated March 29, 1892.

7 Application filed May 20, 1889. Serial No. 311,501. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JAMES B. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los-Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Separating Gold, Silver, and other Metals from Various other Pulverized or Granular Substances, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of my invention is the production of a machine for separating particles of gold, silver, and other metals from sand or granulated quartz and other pulverized materials of different specific gravity by the use of compressed air with organized machines, whereby the lighter constituents are separated from the metals and the latter are concentrated into a comparatively small bulk, which may be handled with economy and separated from each other by any of the known processes.

My invention relates to certain improvements in machines for separating ores from other substances and concentrating the former at one end of the machine, while the latter, of less gravity, are conveyed to and discharged at the opposite end of the machine, as hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the opposite side and end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central vertical section cutting the machine at a line drawn through the point denoted by O in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a transverse vertical section taken at line X X of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal central vertical section of the double bellows and the first compartment of the air-chambers. Fig. 6 represents a central longitudinal section of the revolving magnetic cylinder detached. Fig. 7 represents a transverse sec tion of the same, and Fig. 8 represents a de cached sectional view showing the location of a spiral spring which acts upon the guiderolls which govern the movements of the endless apron and produce the necessary friction of the apron upon the large drum to cause it to revolve with the drum.

principally of the posts A A, with ties B B, sills and plates 0 O, and side boards D D, is mounted with the hopper E, provided with a fluted revolving feed-roller F, driven by the belt 9, and the slide H serves to regulate the feeding from hopper E. The endless apron I, provided with transverse vertical flanges or riflies upon its outer surface, is locatedbetween the side boards D D, arranged at an angle to a horizontal plane, which maybe varied by vertical adjustment of its lower end, and is revolved in the direction of arrow at, Fig. 3, upon drums J K L', (shown in Fig. 3,) the drum J being provided with gear M, operated through worm-gear N on shaft 0, on the opposite end of which is fixed the triplicate gear-wheelP, which is actuated by the adjustable pinion Q on shaft Q, which is furnished with belt-pulley R. Endless apron I.

revolves around an air chest or compartment S, and is so adjusted thereto and pressed thereon at the edges of its open upper side by means of set-screws T and hinged frictionrolls U (shown in Fig. 3) as to prevent air from escaping between said apron and the air-compartment. Five. longitudinal bearers or slats o o guide and support the apron and prevent it from sagging by the weight of the material thereon when in use. The hinged weighted roller W aids in holding the apron I closely upon its driving and guiding drums J K L and the slats or bearers o to prevent the compressed air in compartment S (of which it forms the top or cover) from escaping between them.

The magnetic cylinder X, Figs. 6 and 7, is journaled upon the extension of the frame at X below the upper or metal-discharging end of the apron I, and may be used for separating fine granulated'iron from the particles of precious metals. The guide-rolls y, which press the apron by virtue of spiral springs .2 upon the drum J, are secured upon shaft 1), journaled in slots in brackets c, secured to posts A, so as to allow them sufficient vertical movement to compensate for any inequalities of the thickness of the apron which revolves under them, their purpose being to cause the apron to adhere to and revolve with the drum J. The Vertical adjustment of the lower end of apron I, together with air-cham- The frame of the main structure, consisting her S, may be made by the screw-threaded rod d, connected to the cross-tie e at the ends of side pieces D D, which rod extends up through plate 0, terminating with a hand disk or wheel f.

A pair of bellows g g is supported by the diaphragm h in the side frame, which has journaled across its rear end the crank-shaft 7:, having the belt-pulley j and balance-wheel k thereon. An air-compartment Z at the end of the bellows communicates therewith through valves t t and is connected by pipe n to the intermediate larger air-compartment m, which is provided with'an air-tight hinged yielding top 0, united thereto by the bellowsformed leather connection m. Hinged top 0 is connected by a spiral spring p and adjustingscrew;p with the upright arm q, fastened to the end of air-compartment 'm, for the regulation of thecurrent of air that passes through said compartment, which is thence conducted through pipe r to the interior air-chamber S. The bellows are connected for alternate operationrby the rod 3, Fig. 5, and are actuated by pitman u on crank-shaft 'i. The respective bellows g g are provided with air-ingress valves X. The movement of endless apron lmay be increased orfidecreased by means of the adjustable pinion Q' and the triplicatemust? be increased, and the reverse will be,

necessary when of less gravity, in order to separate the gross lighter substances from the metals.- The travelingen'dless apron I is made of material of. fine texture, which, while it per-- mits thesvolu-me of air to pass up through it, resists its passage sufficiently to cause compression-thereof within the air-compartments, whereby' greater uniformity of action of the air is :obtained. Torregulate and modify the force of the current of the volume of airpassing' from the bellows through the air-compartments Z m S, the sliding damper 2 and adjusting-screw p, which acts upon spiral" spring ponthe bellows-formed hinged cover 0, can be: used, the former to diminish the exit-orificenincompartment m and'the latter tocause'incre'ase or decrease of the pulsations of the compressed air within the air chambers oricompartments, which pulsations are caused 95. the air-compartment S (the top of which is formed of the endless traveling apron 1) comby the alternating operation of the bellows g Appreciatin'gthe importance of making at its ends to cause the apron to be kept in close contact with said compartment. This means, together with the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 at T U, described'above, will effeet the purpose mentioned.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: Power can beapplied to propel a belt 3 on pulley 6, which will communicate "motion'through shaft 4' and pulley 5 to belt 7, which actuates the bellows alternately through crank shaft' 'i, pitman u, and'conm necting-rod s. Pulley 8 on shaft 4: carr es the belt 4, which passes over pulley R, dr ving the pinion Q, which in turn revolvestriplicate gear-wheel P and its shaft 0, with worm N ,which meshes with gear-wheel M upon the axle of drum J, which propels the apron I. The fluted feed-roller F is revolved'by belt on pulley 10 and the small pulley on shaft 4 and the beltwll, passing over the small pulley on shaft Q andpulley 12 on the journal, of the magnetic cylinder X, revolves said'cylinder. The large belt-wheel 13 is intended to be used, if desired, to propel a fan, which may be used in connection-with a trunk placed over the apron I to carry away dust which arises from the apron when the machine 1s in operation. The granulated material, composed of iron, gold, silver, sand, and other earthy substances, is placed in hopper E in.

a dry condition and discharged therefrom upon apronl by the rotation of the fluted roller F atthe outlet of the hopper, the quantity being regulated by the adjustment of slide H. The inclination of the apron land the force of the air passing up'throughthe apron distributes the material upon the apron andcauses the particles of less-gravity than the metals to be raised and suspended above buoyed: up and'carried down the apron and discharged at the tail of the machine, and as the apron travels in the opposite direction the met'als restingupon itwill'be carried up by it and discharged oven its more: elevated end. While the apron is'thus traveling with the. materials to be separated upon itand' suspended immediately above it,-as above mentioned, the bellows will necessarily be in operation A alternately, forcing air into the three air compressing compartments Z mS with acontinuous'butslightly intermittent power. This intermitt-ing effe'ctproducedby the alternating action of the bellowsm'aybe modified, increased, or diminished tomeet the requirements of the occasion and in accordance with the quantity of material being fed upon the apron for separation. When the cover of compartment m is forced and held down by the adjusting-screw rod 19 to its lowest position, the'pulsations of air will be most positive and powerful; but when the hinged top 0 of the air-chamber m is allowed freedom of movement its yielding capability enables it to rise and fall with the intermitting force of the air produced by the alternating action of the bellows, and the consequent efiect will be to diminish the vibratory movement of the materials suspended or partially suspended above the apron, as the air passing through the apron from compartment S will be of a more uniform velocity. WVhen the apron I and compartment S are adjusted by the screw-rod d, the axle of drum J in boxes on posts A acts as their hinged support and center of motion, and the pipe 0, being flexible; yields to admit such adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that although the endless apron of wire-gauze or other textile material carries the metals which fall into its riffles (being of greater gravity) up an incline to discharge them at the same time the force of the air that continuously presses in volume through the meshes of the apron causes the sand and fine earthy substances whichwere mixed with the particles of metal to be raised up, separated from the metals, and carried over the lower end of the apron and discharged thereat.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire tosecu're-by Letters Patent 1. In a machine for separating ores from other substances, the endless inclined adj ustable revolving apron formed of textile material, through which air may be forced, in combination with three air-compartments l m S, the intermediateone m of which is provided with an adjustable yielding closed cover and the primary one Z is interposed between the double bellows and the air-pipe n, and flexible pipe '7', provided with a sliding valve 2 to regulate ingress of air to the connected aircompressing compartment S, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for separating ores from other substances, the combination of the riffied endless revolving apron I with the drums J K L, gear-wheel M, worm-gear N, shaft 0',

adjustable pinion Q, triplicate gear-wheel P,

and intermediate driving-shaft Q for regulating the movements of said apron, substantially as described.

3. In the above-described machine, the combination of the endless revolving apron and its supporting-drums J K L, the former forming a close cover for the air-compressing compartment S, with adjusting set-screws T,.friction-rolls U, hinged weighted roller W, and

apron-bearers V, as and for the purpose speci-,

4. In the above-described machine, the endvided-with a yielding close cover, and an airregulating slide or valve,'in combination with adjusting devices 19 p', as and for the'purpose specified. 1

, JAMES B. FREEMAN.

Witnesses: A; O. HOLMES,

c JOHN GoLDswoRTHY. 

